Published 6:01 am, Monday, June 11, 2012

STAMFORD -- Stamford residents Jillian, Abigail and Victoria Katz won't be spending their first week of summer on the beach with friends. Instead, all three sisters will be climbing Africa's highest mountain to raise money for a cause close to their hearts.

On Wednesday, the Katz sisters began their adventure, with a plan of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money to help people with Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder that impairs speech, mobility, sensory sensation, autonomic function and cognitive learning.

"I am very excited for this climb," said 13-year-old Victoria Katz. "I have never done anything like this before in my life, and we are raising money for a great cause. It will be hard, but it will also be a great experience."

Abigail and Victoria Katz said they hope to match the $40,000 that their oldest sister, 17-year-old Jillian, raised when she climbed the 19,340 foot mountain in 2008. The Katz family became aware of Rett Syndrome after a family friend, Jessie, was diagnosed with the disorder at 2 years old, said Abigail Katz, 15.

"Jessie is now my age, but she still can't walk, talk or feed herself," said Abigail Katz. "I really want to raise money and awareness for this disorder because most people aren't even aware that it exists. To do something for these kids that they can't do themselves is very rewarding."

The climb will take about eight days to complete, with the group starting out in a desert and hiking to snow-covered mountains, said Abigail Katz. "We have been training almost everyday for the climb since March, doing various workouts at LA Fitness," she said. "All three of us have been regularly going to kickboxing classes and trying to do as much cardio as we can. We also have been training on the step machine with heavy backpacks and boots on, to simulate what the hike wil be like. I'm sure it will be challenging, but I think we can do it."

Victoria Katz said she thinks "summit day," when the girls reach the highest point of the mountain, will be the most challenging.

"On 'summit day,' we have to get up in the middle of the night and hike up the mountain with only our lights to lead the way," said Victoria Katz. "You aren't allowed to camp at the top because the air is too thin, so we have to do it all in one day. So that is definitely going to be the hardest part of the climb."

The three sisters wil be accompanied by their mother, Laura, and technical advisor Marty Schmidt from New Zealand on the hike. Even though the sisters are giving up a few weeks of their summer, Abigail Katz said she couldn't be more excited to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for the first time.

"This is a life-changing experience," said Abigail Katz. "It is very exciting, and we really want to make a difference for Rett Syndrome research. I couldn't imagine a better way to start off my summer."